Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple mobile devices or other user equipment (UE) devices. Base stations may communicate with UEs on downstream and upstream links. Each base station has a coverage range, which may be referred to as the coverage area of the cell. Device-to-device (D2D) communications involve direct wireless communications between UEs either within or beyond the coverage area of a base station. D2D communications may be facilitated by scheduling transmissions from a base station if the devices are within a coverage area. In some cases, D2D communications are utilized by public safety officers such as police, fire and rescue teams, etc.
In many situations, the UEs used in D2D communications are mobile devices that are battery operated. Accordingly, power savings in such devices is a significant consideration in device operation, in order to provide enhanced operational lifetime between charges of a battery. Furthermore, wireless transmissions in D2D communications may encounter interference from various sources, including wireless network base stations and other UEs that may be transmitting, for example. Thus, it would be desirable for D2D communications to provide for enhanced power savings techniques as well as to provide for enhanced interference mitigation.